News

Tawaki Ranger, Robin Long, went searching for Fiordland crested penguins a couple of months ago and reports on her adventure.

Tawaki Ranger, Robin Long, went searching for Fiordland crested penguins a couple of months ago and reports on her adventure. Our plan was to survey for Fiordland crested penguins or tawaki along a remote stretch of the Stewart Island coast by kayak. As for last year, I was assisted by Simon Litchwark and we were very fortunate to hitch a ride down to Port Pegasus on August 28th with Aurora Charters, and back again on September 8th. While we were down there we got around in a double sit on top kayak kindly lent to us by a friend of Simon, Phil Bradfield. Two of the days were too windy to go out paddling but aside from that we managed to make things work in spite of it being quite wet and windy and not always very pleasant. In total we paddled 165km over the eight days and managed to cover most of the Port, which I didn't think we'd manage given how windy it was when first got there.

We found a total of 54 nests. Almost all of these were in caves along the sea cliffs, much like we found along the northern coast of Stewart Island last year. We found none in the inner, more sheltered, parts of the port but as we got closer to the open sea we found them in most of the occupiable caves. Unfortunately we were limited by the swell making it increasingly difficult to land and search the caves as we went further out, but we were able to check the backs of Noble and Anchorage Islands on one especially calm day.

The 54 nests were distributed as follows: 27 on Noble Island; 2 on Anchorage Island; 5 on Pearl Island (probably more but the sea was too rough for us to search the outer coast); 2 on the headland north of North Pegasus Hunters Hut; 14 on the mainland south of South Passage; 4 in Small Craft Retreat. None in any of the inner coastline which is why we didn't prioritize the time to search Sylvan Cove but focused on the outer parts instead.

The results of this survey support our hypothesis from last year that there are a significant number of tawaki breeding around Stewart Island, but their preference for rough coastlines is going to make most of the population impossible to survey. Explorer, Tara Mulvaney, kayaked around Stewart Island a couple of years ago and said she saw probably several hundred scattered the whole way around the coast. We also saw a bunch of Yellow-eyed Penguin trails in the more sheltered areas, got chased by sea lions in Small Craft Retreat and met a curious southern right whale at the base of Bald Cone who swam in circles and back and forth under our kayak for at least half an hour! As you can read, Robin volunteers a lot of her time and goes to great efforts to help learn more about and protect these beautiful birds, the tawaki. If you feel you would like to donate some funds to help with future surveys and projects, please do get in touch with us. Many thanks.

The West Coast Penguin Trust is hailing the benefits of exhaustive environmental and penguin management planning after a nocturnal visitor to an ocean outfall drilling site recently was successfully returned to the ocean.

The West Coast Penguin Trust is hailing the benefits of exhaustive environmental and penguin management planning after a nocturnal visitor to an ocean outfall drilling site recently was successfully returned to the ocean. Westland Dairy Company took the initiative several years ago when the idea of a pipeline to take treated waste out to sea rather than into the Hokitika River started taking shape.  The pipeline was proposed to go through a small area of coastal scrub on the northern edge of Hokitika, but that small area was home to dozens of blue penguins. As pipeline plans progressed, so did the preparation to work in a coastal area where penguins would be present.  The West Coast Penguin Trust provided details for a comprehensive blue penguin management plan that was incorporated into contract documents for the tender process. McConnell Dowell won the tender to install the pipeline and have embraced the idea of working in a penguin zone, welcoming the inductions for contract teams by Trust Manager, Inger Perkins, and implementing the many requirements of the penguin management plan.  They have borrowed a taxidermied blue penguin - kindly loaned by DOC - so that they are all aware of what they are protecting and looking out for. So when the night crew saw a penguin on the site, they alerted the site manager, who got hold of the Trust.  Footprints were seen but it wasn't clear where the penguin had hidden itself until later in the day. McConnell Dowell staff were ingenious, helpful and ultimately delighted to help the penguin gently out of its hiding place under a container housing pumping machinery.  With guidance from Ms Perkins, they released the penguin to the beach and watched as the penguin looked around, got its bearings, and then headed out to sea - a happy ending for everyone. The key lesson was that the preparation paid off.  The Trust appeals to all those who may be working in coastal areas to think penguins.  They could be nesting anywhere - under trees, shrubs, houses, sheds, debris.  Check with the Trust before disturbing any coastal area, whether digging into or moving material so that no penguins are harmed. The story has been shared through local newspapers and on Stuff here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/123433482/little-blue-penguin-rescued-from-ocean-drilling-site-near-hokitika

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency have recognised the issue of streetlights as a threat to Westland petrels and have agreed to trial the switching off of Punakaiki street lights on SH6 for the most critical period, 8th November to 8th January.

We're fast approaching the season when young Westland petrels can be disoriented by lights, particularly around Punakaiki but occasionally further away from their nesting areas. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency have recognised this issue and have agreed to trial the switching off of Punakaiki street lights on SH6 for the most critical period, 8th November to 8th January. They are keen to let the community know in advance and have made themselves available via a drop in session next Tuesday evening, 3rd November, 6-8pm at the Punakaiki Tavern. Our very own Westland petrel expert, Kerry-Jayne Wilson, will be there too, to answer questions and to explain the threat posed by lights, especially to juvenile petrels. Please share this with your networks in the area so that as many of the Punakaiki community as possible are aware of the plan, the reasoning behind it, and of the opportunity to ask questions and share feedback and suggestions. For more about the petrels and the threat posed by lights, what you can do, a DOC information flyer etc - see our earlier news story about Westland petrels. For more detailed information, find reports and papers via our research page.

The West Coast Penguin Trust has expanded its primary school education programme to include more than 1100 children at 16 schools on the South Island’s West Coast, after receiving funding from the ANZ Staff Foundation.
And then ANZ chose the Trust's story as the subject for a new video.

The West Coast Penguin Trust has expanded its primary school education programme to include more than 1100 children at 16 schools on the South Island’s West Coast, after receiving funding from the ANZ Staff Foundation last year. And then this year, ANZ chose the Trust's story as the subject for a new video. Reina Webster-Iti, experienced and talented Creative Producer at ANZ, prepared a detailed plan to capture various aspects of the Trust's work. Over three days on the Coast last month with her camera man, Joseph Jowitt, they filmed a wide variety of interviews and scenes. The packed filming schedule included: Manager, Inger Perkins, Ranger, Matt Charteris who showed the ANZ duo penguin chicks and the penguin protection fence, Education Ranger, Lucy Waller with wonderful and generous support from Granity School, plus Alastair Judkins and penguin detection dog, Mena, who were working with the Trust at the time. Most of the filming has ended on the cutting room floor, so it has been an interesting experience for the Trust to see how much goes into making a tiny film! The ANZ team skillfully condensed all of that filming into a seamless 3 minute video to illustrate what we do as well as to share a community project that they support with the world. The Trust was very fortunate to be selected.  ANZ films a couple of the 60 or so projects that they support each year through their staff foundation fund. Read the ANZ story here.

   

A Little Blue is a self published children's picture book written and beautifully illustrated by Coaster Jeanette Goode.

Fourteen years in the making, A Little Blue, has just been launched! A Little Blue is a self published children's picture book written and beautifully illustrated by Coaster Jeanette Goode. This delightful new book is the first in a series that feature the threatened species of Aotearoa New Zealand. It is written for 7 to 12 year olds and is particularly helpful for reluctant readers as Jeanette has drawn pictures to tell a slightly different and deeper story. It is a tale of love and the arresting power of nature and Jeanette is very kindly making a donation to the West Coast Penguin Trust for every copy sold! Reviewer and author Melinda Szymanik has reviewed the new book: "There is a lot to like about this sophisticated picture book/junior fiction hybrid. The title, A Little Blue, is a multi-layered clue to what we will find inside. Epistolary in form, the story follows Simmy’s time staying with her Dad at his beach side house on the West Coast. "Simmy is living with her dad because her mum is sick, so the book begins with her begging her mother to let her come home. Everything is strange and not at all what she’s used to, and she’s stuck there until her mother gets better and there is no certainty that she will. "We are cleverly drawn in to Simmy’s mind through the subtle text, beginning with the misery she feels as she misses her normal life and her mum most of all. But from letter to letter we find Simmy less and less resistant to her new surroundings as she gradually becomes involved in coastal life, especially with the pair of Little Blue Penguins nesting under her bedroom floor. We learn about penguins along with Simmy, and about the unexpected joys and challenges of living by the ocean. "I was really charmed by this book. The writing is assured and captures Simmy’s voice well. There is plenty to discover in each letter and illustration about local life, local fauna and Simmy herself, and the story charts a realistic trajectory for Simmy’s transformation, ending with a satisfying twist. "The accompanying artwork suits the feel of the book, effectively depicting the changing emotions and environment. A donation from every sale of this book goes to the West Coast Penguin Trust to assist with research, conservation and education programmes. Recommended for kids aged 7-10." You should be able to find it at a book shop near you or you can buy direct from Jeanette.

Mena, the only penguin detection conservation dog in the South Island, along with handler Alastair Judkins, joined the West Coast Penguin Trust for two weeks to survey penguin nest sites and visit schools.

Mena, the only penguin detection conservation dog in the South Island, along with handler Alastair Judkins, joined the West Coast Penguin Trust for two weeks to survey penguin nest sites and visit schools. Mena's key function is to sniff out penguin sites and the Trust wanted to confirm the penguin presence and ideally numbers in several areas including north of Hokitika, along the penguin protection fence north of Punakaiki, and around Tauranga Bay/Cape Foulwind and Carters Beach.  She knows, when her muzzle is on, that she's on duty.  She'll seek out a whiff of penguin and then track it down.  When she has found the source, she'll sit down and await further instructions.  Alastair will get her to sit and stay on a small blanket while he investigates further and records the finding. Alastair and Mena also offer a wonderful session for primary school age children and we were delighted to be able to take Alastair and Mena to several of the schools we work with - Hokitika, Kumara, Paroa, Grey Main, Barrytown, Westport South and Granity schools. Bringing this dymanic duo over from Kaikoura has been supported by the Westland Dairy Company, KiaOra Vancouver and Canterbury Petfoods and we are enormously grateful to them all. Knowing where penguins are nesting is invaluable when development is planned and we are also keen to have a measure of penguins protected by the penguin fence, which we are confident are increasing in number, but doing surveys like this will give us greater certainty. The school children had a wonderful time learning about conservation dogs and Mena in particular and then getting to meet this gorgeous Vizla. Read more about Mena here.

 

The distressing loss of these penguins has been turned into a valuable education opportunity for local biology students

Blue penguins, only as tall as a 30cm ruler that every student will have in their tool kit, have been killed on coast roads since the roads were built through their nesting areas but some are now helping biology students in their studies. When penguins have been found dead on West Coast roads, they will be recorded in a mortality database to inform conservation management, and then, if they are in good condition, they may be held in a Department of Conservation freezer for future study. Sadly, the freezer at the Greymouth DOC office had accumulated around 20 mostly blue penguins but also a couple of Fiordland crested penguins and space was needed. That presented the opportunity for the West Coast Penguin Trust to work with John Paul II High School and parent and vet from West Coast Vets, Marjan Sprock, to run a dissection class. West Coast Penguin Trust Education Ranger, Lucy Waller explained: “Not only do senior biology students learn about a local native species, observing the anatomy and adaptations of penguins to their environment making science real and relevant, but they contribute to finding out more about these penguins, potentially confirming the cause of death and establishing whether any plastic has been ingested.” With assistance from teachers and led by Marjan and Lucy, the students established what and where the vital organs were and recorded damage to organs and bones, amounts of fat and muscle and any stomach contents. “In one case, they found an egg, a very sad example of the loss of a healthy breeding penguin clearly illustrating not only the loss of one but of future generations of penguins.  In most cases the penguins were emaciated - a surprising finding and something warranting further investigation.” “In addition, these students have been asked to take part in an international penguin study through the New Zealand Penguin Initiative. Brazilian penguin scientist, Dr Ralph Vanstreels, is studying the epidemiology and taxonomy of nasal mites found in a variety of penguin species. In a follow up session, John Paul II students looked for and then analysed these tiny nasal mites, smaller than a pin head, to help this project, adding another useful and fascinating layer of learning.” The penguin trust together with DOC ran dissection demonstrations for Westland High School and South Westland Area School last year and they heard that one of the WHS students was inspired and encouraged to go and study biology at university after the session. The Trust was also able to organise a dissection class with Westland High School recently, with another parent and vet, Lynda Murphy. “The distressing loss of these penguins has been turned into a valuable education opportunity for local biology students with the fantastic support of DOC and of John Paul II and WHS teachers and especially vets Marjan and Lynda. It was a privilege to work with them all.” Photos by John Paul II student, Siobhan Ellis

KiaOra Vancouver is an ex pat group of kiwis keen to help fellow kiwis feel at home there, keep informed and have fun ... and fundraise for causes like penguin conservation!

KiaOra Vancouver is an ex pat group of kiwis keen to help fellow kiwis feel at home there, keep informed and have fun ... and fundraise for causes like penguin conservation back home! They organise events and social gatherings including Waitangi Day, a Summer picnic, and a Christmas party as well as providing tips and hits for living in Vancouver along with work and travel related information with an overall aim of joining kiwis together. On Saturday February 8th, 2020 Kia Ora Vancouver Community Society hosted their tenth annual Waitangi Day Celebration and Fundraiser at The Blarney Stone bar in downtown Vancouver, Canada.  As part of the festivities, their major sponsor Air New Zealand donated a round-trip airline ticket to New Zealand which always helps to draw large crowds. One of the KiaOra Vancouver Directors, Robyn Tucker-Peck explains: "This event continues to attract hundreds of New Zealand expats and honorary New Zealanders in Greater Vancouver to celebrate this significant day in New Zealand’s history and to raise funds for a worthy cause. "We now have a large following of over 4,000 members and our mission is to engage our members with information and services in Vancouver.  Supported by Twitter, Instagram and our newsletter, the Waitangi Day event is a targeted audience for New Zealand organisations to introduce their products and to grow or spread their brand. "The success of our 2020 Waitangi Day event was largely due to the contributions of our sponsors, who went out of their way to support us with donations and products.  Funds raised were used to help two charities in New Zealand: “Kiwis for Kiwi” who supports the conservation of the kiwi bird in New Zealand, and “The West Coast Penguin Trust” who support the blue penguin." This is the second year that KiaOra Vancouver have supported the West Coast Penguin Trust with fundraising at the Waitangi Day event and they raised a very generous $1500 for the Trust's work with blue penguins through $1 per Steinlager stubbie donations! Trust Manager, Inger Perkins, welcomed the donation: "This donation is very useful and very timely.  The Trust has been fortunate to engage Alastair Judkins and his penguin detection conservation dog, Mena, for some essential penguin survey work as well as visits to some of the schools we are working with.  This wonderful donation from KiaOra Vancouver is a huge help in bringing Alastair and Mena over for two weeks work with the Trust and we're enormously grateful to Robyn and her fellow volunteers all the way over in Vancouver." Robyn added: "Our Board Directors all share a common goal – Join Kiwis together. We come from all areas of industry, and Business, are all professionals, and volunteer our time.  We do this out of love for our New Zealand heritage and the desire to bring like-minded kiwis and friends together for fun, business, socializing and networking." Thank you KiaOra Vancouver!!

 

Every year, the Trust compiles its achievements, hopes and thanks into an Annual Report from the Chair. This year, Trust Chair, Reuben Lane, looks back on his first year in the role.

Every year, the Trust compiles its achievements, hopes and thanks into an Annual Report from the Chair.  This year, Trust Chair, Reuben Lane, looks back on his first year in the role. Highlights include a successful application to the Department of Conservation Community Fund, giving the Trust three years of security with around 56% of our costs being met and the confidence to employ a permanent part time year round Ranger, and we're delighted to have the very experienced Matt Charteris in that role. The New Zealand Penguin Initiative came into being on the back of work by Kerry-Jayne Wilson and Dr Thomas Mattern to review the research and conservation status of all New Zealand penguins.  Our Trust will be working closely with the NZPI team to ensure our methodology and reporting are consistent with those of other penguin conservation groups around the country.  That includes our newly established Fiordland crested penguin or tawaki breeding success monitoring programme. Our Education programme led by Lucy Waller has grown strongly over the 2019-20 year and Lucy is now working with 15 Coast schools and other penguin groups outside the region are keen to borrow our education resource. Special thanks go to Wellington Zoo Trust, the West Coast Community Trust, the ANZ Staff Foundation, the Sargood Bequest and the Buller Council Community Fund for their generous financial support of our work last year. Read all the highlights and more detail in our WCPT Annual Report 2019-20.

The West Coast Penguin Trust has been successful in its applications for funding from the Birds NZ Research Fund this year.

The West Coast Penguin Trust has been successful in its applications for funding from the Birds New Zealand Research Fund (BNZRF) this year. The fund mainly supports logistic costs and equipment and we sought support for our blue or little penguin foraging study based in Charleston, and our study of tawaki or Fiordland crested penguins in South Westland in order to better understand the threat posed by stoats and the best methods to manage that threat. Birds New Zealand / Te Kāhui Mātai Manu o Aotearoa are the Ornithological Society for New Zealand and their mission is to foster the study, knowledge, and enjoyment of birds. The generous support of their research fund for the tawaki project in particular is especially helpful.  Following the 'mega mast' or heavy seeding event seen in Autumn 2019, it is anticipated that stoat numbers will have climbed steeply last summer and remain high through the winter, with the potential for a disastrous impact on tawaki eggs and chicks.

Working in South Westland and bringing suitably experienced rangers to the study sites is an expensive business and the Trust is hugely grateful for the BNZRF support. Summaries of both Trust projects along with other projects funded this year are on the Birds NZ website here. Little penguin foraging study overview Tawaki breeding success in relation to stoats overview